Blake Schwarzenbach Day

March 6, 2008


A love affair usually starts with some harmless flirting. A bold move. Three shades of justification and an unhappiness at home.

For me, it started with an album.

I wasn’t always a word guy. I read a lot, but I didn’t feel any real emotional connection with words, never considered actually stringing anything together, creating, emoting. Words were great, but they weren’t inspiring.

And then, just like that, I was inspired. A love affair blossomed. The album was Jawbreaker’s Dear You. The affair was with Blake Schwarzenbach’s lyrics.

After listening to Dear You all the way through for the first time, I started to keep a list of great song lyrics. This was in high school. Without surprise, I discovered that 80% of the lyrics I had written down were from that Jawbreaker album. Nearly everything else paled in comparison. The list was abandoned for lack of competition.

I’m surprised how often I forget about this. I’m lured down new avenues by new bands, treated to a great hook, surprised by a brilliant lyric. I’m bombarded by songs I should like, and often I convince myself that I actually do, that they match up to the stuff I’ve always enjoyed.

And then, just like that, life snaps back into focus and I come back to that Jawbreaker album. To Jets to Brazil. To Blake Schwarzenbach. To a writer that I consider one of the best ever – my favorite lyricist at least, and an underrated talent in creating heartbreaking and tragic turns of phrase.

When it comes down to it, Blake’s lyrics were instrumental in my becoming a writer. Sure, I was driven to write by more than a simple punk lyricist – but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t inspired by his wordplay. It shapes a good chunk of what I write today. Not to cheapen his writing, but everything was constructed to be memorable, to be clever in a way that all copywriting aspires to – each lyric was a headline, each song a brochure, each album a sales piece for his life, the longing, tragedy and happiness. Moods were swayed. Lives changed. People smiled, knowing a master of the craft had just convinced them that, yes, life sucked but, yes, there was hope.

Once every few months, I find myself writing love letters in my head to Blake’s lyrics. They’re overwrought with sappy idol worship and jealousy and disconnected from reality. At these times, I turn up the music and just sing along, knowing that my lot isn’t to recreate that which can’t be recreated. My lot is to take the inspiration and run with it.

I can’t convince you to take up a Jets to Brazil album and instantly fall in love. It’s difficult to explain why a person’s words can be so exciting and brilliant without simply experiencing them yourself. And I’m not so naïve to assume everyone’s tastes are like mine. But find a few songs from Jawbreaker’s Dear You, or Jets to Brazil’s Orange Rhyming Dictionary. Download “The Frequency,” an epic Jets to Brazil song. See if you can locate what it is that I find so electric. Let me know what you think.

Because it’s Blake Schwarzenbach Day at BMOWP. And this love affair doesn’t seem to be winding down any time soon.

“They’re playing love songs on your radio tonight/I don’t get those songs on mine.” – “I Typed for Miles,” Jets to Brazil

Tags: Music, Writers, Writing |

8 Comments

Comments

8 Responses to “Blake Schwarzenbach Day”

  1. eric on March 6th, 2008 1146 am

    just yesterday i was think about whatever happened to jtb and i found out that blake is teaching english at a college in new york

  2. Corey Vilhauer on March 6th, 2008 1249 pm

    Even weirder: he wrote video game reviews for GameSpot.

  3. Lucy on August 8th, 2008 1134 pm

    I think that everything you said was great. Blake Scharzenbach is a poet and his words helped me through my crazy early teen years. In fact, I have NEVER stopped listening to any Jawbreaker or Jets to Brazil (even though I felt a little betrayed at first). You heard “Dear You” first, but I heard them all in order…and I have to say, poetry is always there. I think it is great that Blake is teaching at the University now, considering that I am working on my master’s in Library and Information Sciences, and all I hear from other punk bands I used to listen to is, “Who needs school?, Education is for those fuckers who think they are better than we are !!” Well anyway, I am doing all that I fucking can, so just give me a break and do whatever it is that you would like to do. I still think Blake S. is awesome, but I am 26 years old now…not a little kid…he is a great poet…but he’s never gonna fall in love with me.

  4. karen on November 17th, 2008 330 pm

    i completely agree, glad i could stumble upon this post and i hope you may have already heard the good news. blake is starting a new band. the name is “thorns of life”
    he apparently has a facebook and you can youtube “thorns of life” and a couple videos will show up (of the first of his shows.) im 23 years old, ive been listening to jets and jawbreaker for a little more than 7 years now, i have never seen blake perform live and am completely taken that i may finally have the chance.

  5. Sean Dana on November 20th, 2008 850 pm

    Very well put! I only discovered Blakes work about a year ago. I was immediately and completely floored. I don’t think any artist has ever spoken to me so deeply. Not even Nirvana. I am a lover of things punk and indie, but this was different. His words are light years beyond anybody I can think of. His songs make me ache and rejoice at the same time. Many Jawbreaker fans don’t completely accept Jets, but I can say without hesitation that I love them both equally. To me their differences are simply a representation of a nautral progression. Maybe I’ll be lucky enough to witness the genius of Blake in person with “Thorns”. I feel like I really missed the boat with Jets and Jawbreaker, and I would consider myself blessed. Anyway very nice commentary and God Speed!

  6. Mike on January 23rd, 2009 223 am

    Jets to Brazil is my all time favorite band. I am going through a very rough break up right now ( lost my girlfriend of 4.5 years) and I’ve been listening to Jets about 5 hours each day. Listening to Blake both makes me cry and warms my heart at the same time. Blake is a one of a kind writer and I’m glad we can all recognize this. Can’t wait to hear the Thorns of Life. Let me know if anyone has any more information about his new project. Let’s hope it lasts long for at least one record and one tour. We love you Blake.

  7. dilemma on March 17th, 2009 228 am

    Nice work, keep it up. Cheers.

  8. skip webber on July 10th, 2009 630 pm

    i’ve been a sucker for jawbreaker since i heard caroline off their demo tape in 1989/90.once a sucker always a sucker!

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